Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe recently was arrested for disrupting an assembly during a political protest. He sounds ready to do more disrupting.
“I am prepared to go to jail again but I do think it’s that serious,’’ Kluwe told Josh Peter of USA Today. “And I’m unwilling to ask someone to do something that I’m unwilling to do myself.’’
Kluwe’s arrest resulted from his peaceful objection to a plan by Huntington Beach, California city council to place a “MAGA” display at the local library.
“It’s important [those] who have privilege and power like I do to be out there on the front lines helping support those who are being oppressed,’’ Kluwe said. “Because we cannot expect the people being oppressed to do all the work. It’s on all of our shoulders to do that work. And I hope other people are brave enough and willing enough to do this.’’
Kluwe asked whether others with privilege and power will do the same.
“I think the more important question to ask is why aren’t owners speaking out?’’ Kluwe said, regarding those who control the NFL. “Why aren’t people with real power, people who sign the checks, why aren’t they saying anything?’’
The easy, and most obvious, answer is that they hope to keep their privilege and power — and possibly to expand it. Regardless, Kluwe is willing to say plenty.
“If I want somebody to speak out for me, I have to be willing to speak out for them,” Kluwe said. “I want to be in a world where everybody is free to be who they are.’’
These are strange times indeed, regardless of where a given person lands on the political spectrum. I remain hopeful that the things that unite us eventually will overcome those that divide. Absent something like an invasion from Mars or Melmac, it’s hard to imagine that happening any time soon.
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